Intrauterine contraceptive device

ABSTRACT

An intrauterine device formed of leaf spring material. The device is in the form of an M and having enlarged rounded joints which are longitudinally offset relative one another to make possible greater compactness when compressed for insertion into the uterus.

United States Patent Chaft Feb. 13, 1973 [54] INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTIVE [56] References Cited D I E EV C UNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventor: Marc E. Chaft, 8 Tripplet Road, 3 397 690 8/1968 M r 128/130 a z in v.

Somerset 08873 3,410,265 11/1968 -Chaft ..l28/130 [22] Filed: April 21, 1971 Primary ExaminerLawrence W. Trapp [21 1 Appl' 135984 Attorney-Victor M. Helfand R lated U.S. A l' t Data e pp 57 ABSTRACT 62 D"' S .N.72,94, ,l96. 1 mslon of er 0 4 8 July 5 8 An intrauterine device formed of leaf spring matenal. The device is in the form of an M and having enlarged [:2] rounded joints which are longitudinally Offset relative E g l l 29 131 one another to make possible greater compactness when compressed for insertion into the uterus.

*6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB l 3 I975 FlG.3

MARC E. CHAFT INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY INTRAUTERINE CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICE The present invention relates to an intrauterine contraceptive device (hereinafter referred to IUCD), and is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 742,984 filed July 5, 1968 IUCDs to which my aforesaid application relates, are of the type formed of resiliently connected elements that are normally disposed at an angle to one another, in expanded relation, and are compressible into substantially contacting relation, into a compact mass which may be readily inserted into the end of an instrument such as described and illustrated in my US. Pat. No. 3,410,265 dated Nov. 12, 1968 by means of which the IUCD may be inserted into the uterus through the uterine canal with a minimum of dilation of the canal and a minimum risk of pain and discomfort and of injury to the canal walls, and may be discharged from the instrument into the uterus where it returns into its contraceptually effective expanded shape.

Such IUCDs, in addition to being easily and substantially painlessly insertable into the uterus, are designed, when disposed within the uterus, to cause a minimum of pain and discomfort to the host and to present a minimum risk of damaging the uterine walls; particularly by the abrasion of their free ends against the side walls of the uterus under spasmodic contraction and expansion of the uterine muscles.

Such lUCDs are also designed to remain and retained in situ within the uterus for prolonged periods of time against inadvertent discharge by reason of the uterine muscular contraction.

The present invention is directed to an IUCD that possesses all of the foregoing advantages which is formed of leaf spring material with its elements disposed in zigzag formation; particularly in M-shape formation, with its end elements being substantially parallel to one another and projecting beyond the intermediate elements, and has for its object to provide a device of the character described which is compressible into maximal compactness and which is responsive to the contraction of the muscles of the outer end of the uterus closest to the uterine canal, to be moved inwardly into the uterus, toward the fundus thereof, as a result of such contraction to thereby inhibit movement of the device outwardly of the uterus.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described whose free ends will tend to slide smoothly along the uterine side walls on their muscular contractions rather than dig into such side walls; thus greatly eliminating abrasion of the side walls with resultant bleeding and pain. i

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of IUCDs of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It will be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the. principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible,

specific details therein shown.

IN .THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of an IUCD I of the present invention, shown in normal, expanded state;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same in compressed, compact state, in readiness for placement into an insertion instrument; and

FIG. 3 is an edge view of the device.

Generally stated, the IUCD of the invention comprises an M-shaped body in which the side elements and the intermediate elements are formed of chemically inert leaf springmaterial, with the elements connected to one another by enlarged bights for ease of flexibility and in which the outer elements are substantially parallel to one another and the center elements are both shorter than the outer elements so that they terminate oppositea mid point of their length, with one of the center elements being shorter than the other so that, when compressed, the bights are longitudinally aligned one over the other as will the looped ends of the side elements.

More specifically stated, the IUCD of the invention generally designated as 10, comprises a unitary strip of leaf spring material that is chemically inert and is bent into M-shape to form side elements 12 and 14 of substantially equal length and substantially parallel to one another and center elements, 16 and 18 of lesser length than side elements 12 and 14. Elements l6 and 18 are each connected by one end to an end of elements 12 and 14, respectively, by an enlarged arcuate resilient joint or bight, 20 and 22, respectively, which, for purposes of compactness, are preferably disposed along the inner face of elements 12 and 14. The other ends of elements 16 and 18 are divergently connected, in V- formation, by an enlarged resilient joint or bight, 24, which is disposed opposite a midpoint of elements 12 and 14.

Each of elements 12 and I4 is provided at its outer end with an inwardly curving, circular loop, 26, for the attachment of a string, or the like, by which the IUCD may be withdrawn from the uterus when desired, in a conventional manner not thought necessary to be specifically illustrated.

In order to make possible the maximum compacting of the device 10, to be accommodated in an inserting instrument of minimal diameter, one of the intermediate elements as 16, may be shorter than the other element 18.

This completes the description of the improved IUCD of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that because of the enlarged resilient bights, the device has a maximum resilient flexibility to provide a minimal resistance to muscular contraction to which it will readily conform in shape. It will also be apparent that such resilience will be at a maximum as that portion of the device which projects beyond the center bight 26 which constitutes the outer end of the device that is disposed in the narrower portion of the uterus adjacent to its outlet.

It will likewise be apparent that because the side elements of the device are substantially parallel to one another, their ends will readily slide along the side walls of the uterus under muscular contraction and will not abrade or dig into such walls as they might if such side elements were divergent.

It will be additionally apparent that by this parallel arrangement of the side elements, contraction of the muscles of the uterus at its outlet end will compress the easily compressible projecting ends of the side elements which, being slidable along the side walls of the uterus, will cause the inner end of the device to be projected by such muscular contraction inwardly towards the fundus.

It will be further apparent that numerous modifications and variations may be made in the lUCD device of the invention by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity.

What I claim is:

1. An intrauterine contraceptive device comprisinga substantially M-shaped body formed of leaf spring material; said body having substantially straight end elements substantially parallel to one another and a pair of substantially straight center elements arranged in V-shape formation, each said center element resiliently connected by one end to an end of the other in divergent relation thereto and by its other end to an end of one of said end elements, whereby said end elements and said center elements are compressible toward one another in substantially contacting relation; said end elements each being of greater length than the center elements connected thereto and projecting past the interconnected ends of said center elements, whereby said end elements are more readily compressible towards one another at their free ends than at their connected ends.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said elements are connected to one another by enlarged rounded bights formed between their connected ends, whereby compressibility of said elements towards one another is facilitated.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein a coil is formed at each free end of each side end element, said coils extending in the direction of one another, inwardly of said end elements.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said bights each depends inwardly from the end of the end element to which it is connected and is connected to its center element at a point inwardly of its connection to said end element, whereby said device is capable of being more compactly compressed.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said end elements are of substantially even length and wherein one of said center elements is shorter than the other, whereby said bights and said coils overlap one another when said elements are compressed towards one another.

6. An intrauterine contraceptive device comprising a substantially M-shaped body of leaf spring material; said body comprising a pair of end elements and a pair of center elements, said center elements arranged in V- formation and each resiliently connected by one end to an end of the other by an enlarged circular bight and by its other end to an end of one of said end elements by an enlarged circular bight overlapping the connected end of said center element, one of said center elements being shorter than the other whereby when said elements are compressed towards one another, said bights are disposed in overlapping relation to one another to form a compact compressed body. 

1. An intrauterine contraceptive device comprising a substantially M-shaped body formed of leaf spring material; said body having substantially straight end elements substantially parallel to one another and a pair of substantially straight center elements arranged in V-shape formation, each said center element Resiliently connected by one end to an end of the other in divergent relation thereto and by its other end to an end of one of said end elements, whereby said end elements and said center elements are compressible toward one another in substantially contacting relation; said end elements each being of greater length than the center elements connected thereto and projecting past the interconnected ends of said center elements, whereby said end elements are more readily compressible towards one another at their free ends than at their connected ends.
 1. An intrauterine contraceptive device comprising a substantially M-shaped body formed of leaf spring material; said body having substantially straight end elements substantially parallel to one another and a pair of substantially straight center elements arranged in V-shape formation, each said center element Resiliently connected by one end to an end of the other in divergent relation thereto and by its other end to an end of one of said end elements, whereby said end elements and said center elements are compressible toward one another in substantially contacting relation; said end elements each being of greater length than the center elements connected thereto and projecting past the interconnected ends of said center elements, whereby said end elements are more readily compressible towards one another at their free ends than at their connected ends.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said elements are connected to one another by enlarged rounded bights formed between their connected ends, whereby compressibility of said elements towards one another is facilitated.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein a coil is formed at each free end of each side end element, said coils extending in the direction of one another, inwardly of said end elements.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said bights each depends inwardly from the end of the end element to which it is connected and is connected to its center element at a point inwardly of its connection to said end element, whereby said device is capable of being more compactly compressed.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein said end elements are of substantially even length and wherein one of said center elements is shorter than the other, whereby said bights and said coils overlap one another when said elements are compressed towards one another. 